Popular Posts in Personal Finance

Popular Posts in Personal Finance | Blossom Social

How do you and your partner manage your finances? If not in a relationship, what would you want to do?

Everything is combined (joint accounts)

27%

Mostly separate with shared responsibilities

20%

A mix of joint and separate accounts

36%

We keep everything completely separate

16%

261 votes · 1d left

6,206 views

Heath

@incomewealthinvestor

Personal Finance · 6d

NAV appreciation and YOC

I see a lot of folks love to post about NAV erosion so this one’s for you!

NAV appreciation is when the price of your assets increase or some like to call it growth.
My current NAV appreciation or growth is sitting at 36% or over $400,000 in under 3 years. NO! You didn’t read this incorrectly😂

I like to call my NAV appreciation my GROWTH FLOAT as I don’t live off this metric but it’s a buffer against market fluctuations.
I took a screenshot below and you can see that during the tariff announcements in APR 2025 it went to zero which also happened to be my 3rd day of retirement😔

You can see it has fully recovered back to a healthy position. During this down period my income remained steady and paid for my retirement.
Selling assets for retirement would have caused a lot of heartache for those who take this approach.

Yield Vs YOC
With appriciating assets you will find that your yield will be lower than your YOC. This is a very important metric used by dividend and income investors to ensure your portfolio is moving in the right direction.
Anyone saying otherwise does not understand or does not use it.

Screenshots of my growth float, yield Vs YOC with monthly income. Appreciating assets with a higher YOC.

Always do your own research 🧐 and analysis 💹
read more

516 views

Heath

@incomewealthinvestor

Personal Finance · 6d

Total returns and CAGR

As we get closer to my portfolios 3 year anniversary, I often wonder if I have all the right metrics?

CAGR
Most of them are easy to calculate and one that seems to pop up frequently is CAGR.
Compound annual growth rate!

My current CAGR is 22.91% is this good for an income investor or growth investor?
I think it’s just good personally when you compare it to the SP500.
My DivTracker app does not show this but perhaps it should?

Total return

My current total return in under 3 years is sitting at 82.5% or over $926,000 which I also think is pretty good?

I mean, I’m sure it would be higher but I live off my portfolio and withdraw every month with no additional funds added.

What metrics do you use for your portfolio?
I would love to hear what’s important to you!!!

Screen shots of my total returns below!

Always do your own research 🧐 and analysis 💹read more

532 views

Jared LaMarsh

@nettspend

Personal Finance · 7d

What I spent Blossomcon Weekend 🌸💵

soooo blossomcon2026 was sooo much fun!!! ALSO the day after, sunday, i went to go see nine vicious at the concert hall…

sooo what did i spend this amazing weekend?

july 25th (saturday) - blossomcon day🌸
- $10.47 (food)
- $30.00 (parking, roger’s stadium)

july 26th (sunday) - nine vicious concert🎤
- $18.70 (sushi for breakfast 🍣)
- $7.35 (coke zero for me + sprite for my friend)
- $15.45 (food b4 the show)
- $16.00 (parking for the show)

and that’s IT!! such a cheap weekend because i have such amazing friends who also INSISTED on paying for my portion of the bill the 2 times we went out to eat july 25th. read more

412 views

Jared LaMarsh

@nettspend

Personal Finance · 10d

NEW BLOSSOM FEATURE

just updated my blossom and saw that they added “cash”. i think this is super helpful and awesome because cash is most definitely a part of your portfolio!!

as you can see i hold ZERO cash because everything gets deployed instantly as time is on my side as a young 21 year old investor!

well done @blossom

ps. i was at 44k like 2 days ago b4 it crashed a bit lol.

4,314 views

Tim Johnson

@tigertim

Personal Finance · 4d

🚨Questrade new feature - automatic smith manoeuvre

Questrade launches “Equity Engine” which is an automatic smith manoeuvre

Totally free with a live dashboard that updates you as it grows

Based on a $1M mortgage, they estimate you’ll pay off your mortgage 5 years sooner and with $1.7M more in your portfolio

Live from the Questrade Mind Set Match event

596 views

Moe

@moementumfinance

Personal Finance · 17d

Levereged Investing through Home Mortgage Equity🍁

Are you tired of your mortgage being "dead" debt that doesn't help build your wealth? Based on numerous questions I have received from @onlygrowthincome and other Blossomers on my previous post, I decided to make this video on my day off today.

I explain in simple terms the Smith Manoeuvre—a powerful Canadian wealth-building strategy that allows homeowners to convert non-tax-deductible mortgage debt into tax-deductible investment debt. 🇨🇦 I'll walk you through exactly how the strategy works, its benefits and associated risks.

I also share my personal journey after implementing the strategy for the past 4.5 years, growing my investment portfolio to over $230,000, consisting of nearly 5,200 shares of XEQT.

In This Video You'll Learn:
✅ What the Smith Manoeuvre is and how it works
✅ How a readvanceable mortgage lets you invest as you pay down your mortgage
✅ Why long-term compound growth is the real engine behind the strategy
✅ How capitalizing interest can improve monthly cash flow
✅ Why this is a long-term (20+ year) investing strategy
✅ How I manage risk and stay invested during market downturns
✅ Important CRA tax rules, record keeping, and tracing requirements
✅ Why the strategy can help Canadians build retirement wealth sooner instead of waiting until their mortgage is paid off

My Smith Manoeuvre Portfolio:
📊 Updated Portfolio Value: $232,000
📈 Holdings: ~5,200 shares of XEQT
🗓️ Time Using the Strategy: 4.5 Years
🔵 Amount borrowed: $146,000 (Including $69,000 Equity borrowed via Prime the Pump plus $77,000 HELOC)
🟣 Unrealized Gains: ~ $85,500
🟢 Interest Paid: ~ $22,600
🟠 Tax Refunds: ~ $8,100

💬 Let Me Know: Have you considered using the Smith Manoeuvre? If you're already using it, I'd love to hear about your experience in the comments! 🙂 Have a wonderful weekend ahead everyone! 🌸🥂
https://youtu.be/Bm7J8zz3tVAread more

6,732 views

Moe

@moementumfinance

Personal Finance · 22d

$234,000 Smith Manoeuvre (Tax Refunds and Gains)

Thinking about using the Smith Manoeuvre to build wealth while paying off your mortgage? In this video, I share my real-world experience implementing the Smith Manoeuvre in Canada—including how I obtained a re-advanceable mortgage [i.e. Scotia Total Equity Plan (STEP)], the mistakes I made for not deducting the interest after using "Prime the Pump" technique, how I dealt with the CRA, and the lessons I've learned after growing my portfolio to over $234,000.

I also provide a complete update on my current Smith Manoeuvre portfolio, including my ETF holdings ($XEQT), unrealized gains, interest paid, tax refunds received, and how I continue to optimize the strategy for long-term financial independence. I also share how I drafted my response to CRA to provide the additional information they request and the cost I was quoted by an accountant (which I chose to pass on).

📈 Portfolio Highlights
Portfolio Value: $234,000
Amount borrowed: ~ $69,000 (Equity borrowed via Prime the Pump) plus $75,000 HELOC
Unrealized Gains: ~ $89,600
Interest Paid: ~ $22,600
Tax Refunds: ~ $8,100

Key Takeaways:
✅ Claim eligible investment loan interest to reduce your taxes.
✅ Use a re-advanceable mortgage to unlock home equity for investing.
✅ Keep detailed records for potential CRA reviews.
✅ Pay down your mortgage strategically to maximize deductible borrowing.
✅ Consider reborrowing investment interest to improve long-term cash flow.

Anyone else here who has implemented the Smith Manoeuvre? If yes, what are your main holdings in your SM portfolio? I'd love to know. 😊
https://youtu.be/BMh8WvaN2hAread more

7,290 views

Perry's PIIverse

@perryf

Personal Finance · 5d

RIF Quiz - I failed it :)

OK so, today I visited my bank to start wrapping up my Dad's banking/investing affairs. Thanks to me working with my Dad over the past year since my Mom passed to get affairs in order - wrapping up his banking & investments will be very easy.

BUT... while I was there... I had had to initiate closing his existing RIF and I ran into something that surprised me on my understanding on this process. I am sure many of you will say "Ohh Perry - of course that's how it works - I knew that". Some will be like me and be surprised. And most of the rest of you haven't even thought about it as that is a distant concern which you will figure out when it happens.

SOO... no cheating and googling it - I am going to ask the RIF QUIZ question (make it a poll). After you read the question - come up with your answer so you can answer the POLL and then keep reading to get the RIGHT answer... :)

QUIZ...
Your Loved One has a RIF and passes away. You are the Beneficiary. The bank liquidates the assets in the RIF, reports the transaction to CRA, and pays out the proceeds to the Beneficiary. Question: WHO will receive the tax slips to include in their Annual Income Tax Filing to report and pay taxes on the paid out proceeds? 1) The Loved One's ESTATE, 2) The Beneficiary receiving the proceeds?

Got your answer in your head??? ...... OK continue reading....

The answer is 1 - the Estate of the Loved One is responsible for reporting the income from the RIF liquidation as part of the last year of income tax. NOT the beneficiary receiving all the proceeds. I knew the liquidated proceeds withdrawn from the closing RIF had to be taxed - but i just assumed it was the person receiving it - not the estate. SILLY ME.

OK do the poll :)read more

Did you know the correct answer?

YES - I knew the income was reported by the Estate's last income tax & taxes paid

57%

NO - I assumed the person receiving the proceeds from the RIF would report & pay the taxes

23%

I DIDNT KNOW so I didnt Guess :)

21%

302 votes · 1h left

5,262 views

Ashton Invests

@ashton_1nvests

Personal Finance · 2d

I’m about to propose to my girlfriend of 6 years…

Wish me luck.

146 views

Levi Ewald

@smallbird.financial

Personal Finance · 12d

Why I Don't Have Life Insurance Yet

Whole life insurance is one of the most oversold products in Canada, and most people who get pitched it don't actually need it. I don't even carry basic life insurance myself right now, and that's a deliberate choice.

Life insurance is there to protect the people who depend on your income, and right now nobody depends on mine. I have no kids, no mortgage, and my wife has a strong career she'd carry on with just fine if something happened to me. The day that changes, say a mortgage or a child comes along, I'll buy term insurance that week.

Term insurance is built for exactly that window. You choose a term, say 20 years, that covers the stretch when your family would struggle without your paycheque, and you pay a low premium for it. It stays cheap because most people outlive the term, and once your savings have grown and the mortgage is gone, you usually don't need it anymore. Insurance is there to protect the plan. Growing your money is a separate job.

Whole life insurance is permanent coverage that never expires as long as you keep paying, and it comes with a cash value that gets pitched hard as an investment. I was talking recently with someone who holds a large stock and bond portfolio in their non-registered accounts. When they pass away, those investments will trigger a big capital gains tax bill, and an advisor had recommended a whole life policy to cover it.

In their case, I don't think that makes much sense. Stocks and bonds are liquid, so when the tax bill comes due, the estate can just sell a portion of the portfolio to pay it. Set that against paying steep whole life premiums every year for decades. The vast majority of the time, selling a slice of a liquid portfolio at death leaves a bigger estate than all those premiums would have.

A business owner, or someone holding a cottage or a rental property, faces the same kind of tax bill at death but without an easy way to pay it. The family often doesn't want to sell the business or the cottage just to raise the cash. That's where whole life can genuinely earn its place, covering a bill on something you can't easily sell or don't want to.

Whole life is expensive, and for most Canadians it simply isn't the optimal choice, even though it gets sold that way constantly. Nobody should buy a whole life policy without an unbiased second opinion first, ideally from someone who earns no commission on the sale. The illustrations look great on paper, but a lot of the growth built into them isn't guaranteed.

If you already own a whole life policy, this isn't me telling you that you made a mistake. Plenty of people were sold these by someone they trusted, and in the right situation the policy really does fit. It's worth understanding what yours is actually doing and whether it still makes sense for you. Have you ever been pitched whole life, and did anyone ever walk you through what it really costs?read more

12K views

Levi Ewald

@smallbird.financial

Personal Finance · 7d

Are Credit Card Points Worth It?

Credit card rewards get talked about like free money, and used the right way they really can pay you back. What makes them work is boring though: you have to treat the card like a debit card that happens to give a small rebate and pay it off in full every month.

The reason paying in full matters so much is the gap between what you earn and what you owe. A good cash back card might pay you 1% to 2% on your spending, while the card charges somewhere around 20% on any balance you carry. So one month of carrying a balance can erase a full year of the rewards you were so pleased to rack up. The points are a rounding error next to the interest.

There is a subtler trap on top of that, which is that rewards are designed to make you spend more. The card company makes money on your spending and your interest, not on your discipline, so if chasing points nudges you into buying things you would not have bought otherwise, the card is winning and you are not. Earning 2% back on money you never needed to spend is still money gone.

The way I think about it, a rewards card is only worth using if paying it off in full is automatic for you and you do not change what you buy to earn more. If you are in that spot, the points are a nice little bonus on spending you were going to do anyway. If you carry a balance even sometimes, a plain no-fee card or your debit card will leave you further ahead.

None of this matters if you are carrying a balance at 20%, because paying that off is a guaranteed return you will not beat anywhere else, points included. Rewards are a small thing to optimize only after the important stuff, clearing high-interest debt and building a cushion, is handled.

So if you use a rewards card, be honest with yourself: are the points a bonus on spending you would do anyway, or are they talking you into spending more?read more

4,228 views

Ashton Invests

@ashton_1nvests

Personal Finance · 2d

Update:

She said yes to a $SOFI bull…

Anything is possible!

264 views

Lei

@leimeansbusiness

Personal Finance · 2d

New chapter of my life

I did it, 3.65%! I didn’t expect to be a homeowner and landlord on my first go!

I had to unlink my Blossom portfolio during the buying process as I had to sell stocks and move around funds. I’m basically starting from scratch with my investment now, but with the stock market at its highest and the events, I thought it’s the best time to diversify my investment and get into real estate.

I’ve decided to go for a multifamily house (duplex). I thought it’s the most ideal for someone alone like me so I can rent out a unit to offset my mortgage and have more extra cash. I also made sure that if things go south, I’m still able to cover the cost of my mortgage plus utilities, insurance, and property tax.

I do have to say it’s quite scary since I have to figure things out on my own. But damnn.. I feel like a boss bae hahaha

If someone ask me what’s my biggest flex? A paid off car and basically having no mortgage to pay.. and I did it on my own! 🤩

566 views

Lisa

@retired

Personal Finance · 2d

2 Feet, 40 Socks: Fix Your Money Flow

Good morning and happy Saturday!

I was folding laundry and putting it away for my family last week and I stopped mid-fold, staring at a drawer stuffed with socks. 🧦

We have 2 feet. TWO. And yet somehow I counted over 40 pairs of socks in that drawer alone.

That’s the moment it hit me, this is consumerism on autopilot. We buy without asking “do I need this?” We accumulate without noticing. And the money we could be investing quietly leaks out into stuff we don’t even use.

This reminds me of David Bach’s “Latte Factor” the idea that a $5 daily coffee doesn’t feel like much, but invested instead over 30 years, it can grow into six figures. It’s never really about the coffee (or the socks). It’s about awareness. Small unconscious spending adds up to real money that could’ve been working for you.

Here’s the shift: stop paying everyone else first and yourself last. Flip it. 💰

✅ Pay yourself first, automate a transfer to your investments the day you get paid
✅ Then bills
✅ Then discretionary spending with whatever’s left

When investing comes first, spending becomes intentional instead of automatic. You start asking “do I need this, or do I just have space in my cart/closet/sock drawer?”

Redesign the flow. Let your money build your future before it funds your clutter. 📈

What’s your version of the sock drawer, the thing you have way more of than you’ll ever need? Drop it below. This is not financial advice, always DYOR. 🌱

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3,304 views

Lisa

@retired

Personal Finance · 4d

Why Millionaires Drive Old Hondas 🚙

Why “rich” people drive 10-year-old Hondas and “poor” people lease BMWs 👀

Not a hot take. There’s actual research on this.

The Millionaire Next Door studied real millionaires and found most of them live BELOW their means. Old cars. Regular houses. Zero flex.

Meanwhile there’s a well-known economics study (Charles, Hurst & Roussanov) showing people with less wealth often spend MORE on visible stuff, cars, clothes, jewelry. Not because they’re bad with money. Because visible signals are doing more work when your bank account can’t do the talking.

It’s not rich vs. poor. It’s INCOME vs. WEALTH.

Some people optimize for how they look right now.
Some people optimize for their net worth in 20 years.

Same paycheck. Completely different outcomes.

The quiet millionaire isn’t cheap. She’s just playing a longer game 💅

Which one are you optimizing for?

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9,406 views